The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Exoskeletons
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Markets
    • Agriculture
    • Healthcare
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mining
    • Security
  • Financial
    • Investments
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Earnings
  • Resources
    • Careers
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Issues
    • Publications
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
      • Robotics Business Review
    • RBR50 Winners 2022
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
    • Leave a voicemail

Pony.ai agrees to recall 3 of its autonomous vehicles

By Brianna Wessling | March 8, 2022

Listen to this article
Voiced by Amazon Polly
pony ai

Pony.ai develops autonomous robotaxi and trucking technology. | Source: Pony.ai

Pony.ai agreed to issue a recall on some versions of its autonomous driving software following a car accident that occurred in October 2021. The company recalled the now repaired vehicles because they used software associated with the crash. 

During the October accident, a Pony.ai vehicle hit a street sign on a median during a turn in Fremont, California while in autonomous mode. No one was injured in the incident, but it prompted the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to suspend the company’s driverless testing permit. 

While there are plenty of crashes reported involving autonomous vehicles, this one stood out because the vehicle was operating in autonomous mode and didn’t involve any other vehicles. 

According to reporting from Reuters, Pony.ai said that the crash occurred less than 2.5 seconds after the autonomous driving system shut down. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told the company that it believed the software had a safety defect, which lead to the requested recall.

Pony.ai complied with the request and updated the software in the three vehicles. According to the agency, this is the first recall of an autonomous driving system. 

Pony.ai received its autonomous driving permit from the California DMV six months before it suspended it. At the time, Pony.ai was the eighth company to receive the permit, after Apollo, AutoX, Cruise, Nuro, Waymo, WeRide and Zoox. 

Earlier this month, Cruise and Waymo received Drivered Deployment permits from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The permit allows the companies to charge customers fares for their services. The permits require both companies to have a safety driver present in the vehicles at all times. 

This week, Pony.ai announced that it is now valued at $8.5 billion dollars after the first close of the company’s Series D funding round. The company ended its last funding round at a $5.3 billion valuation. 

Pony.ai plans to use the funding to further augment hiring and enter more strategic partnerships. It also plans to invest in research and development, including global testing of its fleet of robotaxis and robotrucking and moving closer to mass production and commercial deployment of its fleet. 

The company did not disclose details on the amount raised in the funding round so far, but plans to announce totals when the full round closes. 

About The Author

Brianna Wessling

Brianna Wessling is an Associate Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media. She joined WTWH Media in November 2021, and is a recent graduate from the University of Kansas. She can be reached at [email protected]

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

John Deere autonomous tractor
John Deere acquires camera-based perception company Light
Hyundai, SOSLAB jointly developing LiDAR for mobile robots
ROS 2 driver now available for UR cobot arms
Xact Robotics ACE system
FDA clearance expands indications for Xact Robotics’ ablation system

2021 Robotics Handbook

The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Robotics News

Robot Report Podcast

Robotics Summit 2022 recap
See More >

Sponsored Content

  • Meet Trey, the autonomous trailer (un)loading forklift
  • Kinova Robotics launches Link 6, the first Canadian industrial collaborative robot
  • Torque sensors help make human/robot collaborations safer for workers
  • Roller screws unlock peak performance in robotic applications
  • Making the ROS development cycle manageable

RBR50 Innovation Awards

Leave us a voicemail

The Robot Report
  • Mobile Robot Guide
  • Collaborative Robotics Trends
  • Field Robotics Forum
  • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Business Review
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Exoskeletons
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Markets
    • Agriculture
    • Healthcare
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mining
    • Security
  • Financial
    • Investments
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Earnings
  • Resources
    • Careers
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Issues
    • Publications
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
      • Robotics Business Review
    • RBR50 Winners 2022
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
    • Leave a voicemail